Adjustable gate for street-cars



(No Model.)

L. R. GODWIN.

ADJUSTABLE GATE FOR STREET CARS. N 524,040. Patented Aug. 7,1894.

Witne es; I nvent or.

' Mmm, fi

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZO RUSSELL GODWIN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

ADJUSTABLE'GATE FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,040, dated August7, 189 4.

' Application filed March 5, 1894. Serial No. 502,414- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LORENZO RUSSELL Gon- WIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State ofTennessee, have invented a new and useful Gate for Street-Oars, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in street railway cars, andparticularly to improvements in the gates which are detachably mountedon the platforms thereof to prevent passengers from getting oif the carsat the points where the gates are located, and it conslsts in animproved gate for car platforms which is so formed as to be capable ofadj ustment to fit difierent sizes of gateways, the

. of the car, and the strain put upon the dashboards by the action ofthe brakes and by the leaning of the passengers against them, causes thedlstance between the dashboard and the car body to vary still morewidely. As it is between the dash board and the car body that the gatesare placed for the purpose of protectlon of the passengers, and as it isdesired to use a uniform size of gate, and to replace old gates as theygot broken or worn out with new ones of the same size and character,this Vanation of the space between the car body and the dashboard givesrise to much annoyance and trouble.

The chief object of my invention is to provide a platform gate which canbe adjusted to diiferent widths of gateways, and thus can not only bechanged from end to end and side to side of a car, but also can bechanged from one car to another.

A further object of my invention is to provide a gate which will preventthe sagging of the dashboard on account of the strains to which it issubjected.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the use of a strongly bracedframe work of approximately the width of the gateway for which the gateis designed, and by extending the side arms which project from the sideof the frame, and are formed to permit the attachment of the gate to thesides of the gateway, acrossthe entire width of the frame,

dividing them in the middle and connecting the parts by meansof aturnbuckle nut. In

this manner these arms may be adjusted to .of this application, which isa perspective View of a gate constructed in accordance with myinvention, looking from the rear.

' Referring to the drawing, f represents the wrought iron gate frame. Asshown it is formed with two side bars and two diagonal cross bars,strongly bolted together. The ends of the side bars are curled over toform eyes 1', through which pass the adjustable rods 1". The ends of therods rare either turned down to form hooks b, so as to drop into eyesprovided for their reception in the dashboard of the car, or the endsmay be formed with eyes as shown at d, in which case hooks or pins maybe provided on the dashboard for the eyes to drop over. It is immaterialwhich construction is used. The rods extend across the entire width ofthe frame work, and are divided in the center, the two parts beingconnected together by the turnbuckle nuts n. If it is desired to provideadjustment for only one side of the frame, one of the ends of the rod 4may be fastened firmly in its eye 1', and the other end passes throughits eye sufficiently loosely to permit of its being moved out and in.Preferably, however, both ends of the rod will be made adjustable.Extending as these rods do across the frame work they form a strongbrace to hold the dashboard in position, and transfer the strain fromthe gate itself to the said arms.

' To the frame thus described is securely bolted the sheet iron plate10, which is of thin metal and may be stiffened if desired by turningthe edge over, and running a wire rod around it, as shown at c, whichillustrates a detached corner of the plate so constructed. This plateaffords a convenient means for displaying advertisements, which may bepainted or otherwise placed upon them. The plate will usually be bentoutward in the middle, and thus permit the turnbuckle nut 02 to befreely turned, but if necessary, a hole may be cut in said plate topermit of such movement. The plate is separate from the frame to whichit is attached, and may be easily re moved for the purpose of anyrepairs which may be required.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gate for car platforms, the combina- LORENZO RUSSELL GODWIN.

\Vitnesses:

J. P. YOUNG, E. B. DYE.

